Women-owned sustainability startups are on the rise. The year 2019 had set a record for VC funding for women-led startups. According to Pitchbook, VCs invested $19.1 billion in startups with at least one female founder. However, a mere record-setting event doesn’t tell the full story. The share of VC capital raised by startups with at least one female founder was just 12.3%. Moreover, female-only startups raised only 2.7% out of 12.3%.
Clearly, there is more work to be done in the startup ecosystem to improve these statistics. While women-led startups are delivering phenomenal solutions across various sectors, there is impressive work happening in the sustainability space as well. Climate change is one of the most concerning crisis. Women-led startups are building world-class solutions to tackle environmental issues and climate change. Let’s look at some of these mission-driven and women-owned sustainability startups.
We went to Product Hunt, Elpha, and AngelList and researched for more than 8 hours to find the top women-owned sustainability consumer startups that are trying to grow and need your support. There are numerous ways you can help save the environment. Supporting these startups and their vision in the early stages is a great way to help the environment.
Women-owned sustainability consumer startups you can support right now:
Arnie
Does your investment portfolio reflect on your sustainability values? Arnie is an automated investment advisor that builds an investment portfolio customized to align with your unique sustainability values. Eliza Arnold and Izabel Arnold, founders of Arnie, aim to build a more equitable & sustainable world with customized investing.
BobaGreen
As the name suggests, BobaGreen’s vision is to sell eco-friendly bubble tea. Founded by Mandy Yeung, BobaGreen sells bubble tea DIY kits. Their goal is to let you make your bubble tea at home with high-quality ingredients. You can enjoy your tea in a cup of your choice with a reusable straw. Imagine the amount of plastic you won’t waste with a DIY kit!
C16 Biosciences
Do you know about the environmental effects of palm oil manufacturing is for the environment? Rainforests from Costa Rica to Indonesia are destroyed to make way for oil palm tree plantations. Shara Ticku started C16 Biosciences to produce sustainable alternatives to palm oil. C16 Biosciences ultimately aims at reducing the environmental footprint of palm oil production. Discover more about their mission here.
Caeli
Co-founded by Teresa Comi, Caeli creates and sells ethical homewares and art. They work with ethical suppliers and strive to avoid surplus production. Caeli has also partnered with “One Tree Planted” to plant one tree for every product sold. Please show them some support by purchasing some of their beautiful products, which are typically made to order so that they don’t waste any resources.
Coeio
Founded by Jae Rhim Lee, Coeio makes burial suits for humans and their pets. Their products ensure a completely green funeral without polluting the atmosphere with cremation. Renowned fashion designers so design the products that funerals are beautiful while their patent-pending technology ensures fast decomposition and steady nutrient flow to plants. They also plant two trees for every suit or shroud bought and compost their scraps. Coeio burials can save a lot of money as well. They are less expensive than traditional burials.
Dispatch Goods
Co-founded by Lindsey Hoell, Dispatch Goods is making food delivery sustainable and earth-friendly. They deliver meals to you in sustainable packaging. They use reusable containers to deliver food and pick up empty containers from you after a week of delivery. This eco-friendly concept has proven to work successfully in countries like India on a large scale. They are currently serving only in San Francisco, but you can help them expand and request coverage in your area by submitting this form.
Dripp
Co-founded by Megan Ceryanec, Dripp sells eco-friendly shower liners. Their shower lines are recyclable and biodegradable. Their shower liners are treated to protect against mold and fungus. Please support them by trying out their eco-friendly shower liners!
Fil₂R
Fil₂R (pronounced like ‘filter’) is a sustainable, plastic reducing water filter option that is compatible with your existing water pitcher. Founded by Audra Huffmeyer, a Ph. D. candidate in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Fil₂R aims to reduce plastic waste by reducing the number of water filters we throw away. Fil₂R’s proprietary and reusable case uses an activated carbon pod, which they make from 100% natural coconut shells that reduce lead, chlorine, and particulates from tap water.
Joro
Are you thinking of starting to live a sustainable life? Are you confused as to where do you start? Sanchali Pal started Joro for people who want to live sustainably. Jora is a mobile app that lets you track your carbon footprint by securely connecting your credit and debit cards. It then creates an action plan for you to reduce your carbon footprint through various challenges and activities.
Lia Diagnostics
Founded by Anna Couturier and Bethany Edwards, Lia is the first and only flushable and biodegradable pregnancy test. This earth-friendly pregnancy test biodegrades 100% in just weeks. Lia’s vision is to create a better experience for women during one of the most emotional moments. This beautiful product is contributing to reducing the amount of plastic waste. Now you can know whether you’re expecting in an environmentally friendly way!
Mailrt
Mailrt is a mobile app that enables you to receive paper mail offers digitally and earns you cash rewards for saving trees. Our goal is to modernize the paper mail industry, save as many trees as possible, and create a sustainable society. We are also a part of the women-owned sustainability startups club.
OneKindCup
Founded by Kayle Migaki and Lauren Barnes, OneKindCup is the first and only 100% backyard and industrially compostable cup. It’s also the only recyclable cup straw and lid combination available. OneKindCup is based out of the University of Denver Project X-ite. The company is student-owned and operated. Their mission is to reduce plastic waste from soft drinks sold all around the world.
Tag
Co-founded by Rupa Chaturvedi, Tag is a social media platform for the purpose-driven generation that has led movements such as climate change strikes. Their mission is to empower youth to impact the change they want to see in the world. They are building a mobile platform to create micro-communities based on shared interests, such as sustainability and social movements. Be a part of this new earth-friendly social media platform to create viral campaigns for causes that matter to you.
W/Purpose
Yvonne Cuaresma, Meghna Kamal, and Dennis Grishin are creating the ‘Yelp’ for eco-conscious consumers. W/purpose is a discovery platform that promotes a sustainable lifestyle through eco-conscious decision making. Their app allows users to make tradeoffs between cost, convenience, and social impact while earning rewards for engaging with sustainable businesses.
Mailrt is also a female-founded startup, and we strongly support other female-founded startups. These women-owned sustainability startups are making a significant impact on our planet. You can support these businesses and make an impact by visiting their websites, promoting them on social media, and using their products and services whenever you can.
Did we miss you on this list? Please email us at mailrtapp@gmail.com, and we will add you to the list.